A number of towable watersports including waterskiing, tubing, barefoot skiing, wakeboarding and the like have enjoyed significant success lately. Generally, the user, or rider, is towed by a main rope that is pulled behind a boat, watercraft, or other towing vessel. The rope usually terminates in a handle assembly that is held by the user.
A typical handle assembly is a Y shaped piece including a grip, a bridle, and a yoke. The grip is typically a cylindrical rod covered with a gripable material. A bridle, which in some cases is made of rope, generally extends from each end of the grip and connects to the yoke. The yoke (or a lead rope extending from the yoke) is then connected to the main rope.
Grips typically wear out much faster than the other parts of the handle assembly. However, because most grips cannot be removed from the handle assembly, which is sold as a single unit, users are forced to purchase an entire handle assembly each time the grip wears out. This increases costs to the user and wastes material and manufacturing effort as users are forced to replace bridles and ropes that are in usable condition.
Moreover, a number of different grips are available. For example, different types of towable watersports (i.e. waterskiing versus wakeboarding) may use different styles of grips, and even grips for the same sport may come in different shapes, sizes, and/or colors. Accordingly, a particular user may wish to use different grips at different times. For example, a user may wish to use a specific grip for competition and another grip for practice. Additionally or alternatively, two users sharing the same boat and main rope may wish to use different grips.
Triton sports (www.tritonsports.com) makes a handle system under their Hardline brand called the Detachable Handle System (DHS). However, in order for a user to detach the grip from the bridle, the user must, for each end of the handle, first peel back a rubber piece covering the grip/bridle interface and then, while holding the rubber piece back, use a screw driver to unscrew a small metal screw that joins the bridle to the grip. In order to reattach the grip (or attach a new grip), the user must insert the bridle connector into the grip in the proper orientation such that the holes in the grip align with the holes in the bridle connector, move the rubber piece out of the way, and use a screwdriver to reattach the pieces with the screw. Such a system does not allow for quick removal and replacement of the grip, particularly when a user is wet and/or in the water.
Thus, it would be desirable to have an easily interchangeable handle that allows the grip to be quickly and easily removed from the handle assembly and a different grip inserted without requiring detachment and/or replacement of the rest of the handle assembly.